Thanksgiving Date
by Wraith Ink-Slinger
Summary: Ziva invites Tony over for Thanksgiving dinner but only ends up confusing the poor man! Minimal Tiva fluff one-shot


A/N: Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I've been baking pie all day and I'm ready to relax… and write! Also, this is my first NCIS fiction, so, if you could cut me a little slack…? Well, anyway, I'll try my best. So, settle in for a long one, let's get down to the fic!

Disclaimer: I dun own th' cericters, kay?

"Hey, Ziva, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Tony asked as he walked into the bullpen and sat down at his desk.

"I have never celebrated Thanksgiving, Tony."

"Ah, why not? It's great! All the food and the… well, mainly just the food. Some people like to spend it with family, but y'know… I kinda hate spending time with my family…"

"Since I have been here, I have had no reason to celebrate. My family is in Israel, and I do not think they would celebrate Thanksgiving anyway." Ziva said distractedly, focusing on her computer.

"Well… if you wanted somebody to celebrate with, all you had to do was ask." Tony said, looking over his computer at her.

"I am not going to _ask_ anybody, Tony. I do not need anybody to celebrate with. If I want to gorge myself until I pass out, I am going to do it by myself." Ziva snapped

"Well, excuse me. I just thought you might like to spend a holiday actually interacting with someone."

Ziva sighed. "Thank you, Tony. That is… thoughtful. If you want to come over on Thursday, I think I could cook something."

"Thanks, Ziva. I think I'll take you up on that." Tony said cheerfully.

"Then it is a date." Ziva said, turning her attention back to her computer.

"Uh, sure. A date." Tony said hesitantly.

Tony tried to concentrate on his work, but his mind kept wandering. He had been pondering his relationship with Ziva for a while now. He had come close to asking her out to a drink after work a few times, but he had thought better of it at the last minute. And now they had a Thanksgiving 'date.' However, the way she had said it, he wasn't sure it was even a really a date-date. But what if it was? A dinner for two was always the way he had started a date he wanted to turn into something more… but he had the feeling that wasn't what Ziva had had in mind when she had said 'date.' …But what if she had?

"What're you thinking about DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he strode into the bullpen, glancing over at Tony.

"Nothin', Boss." Tony said quickly, looking back at his computer.

"Right." Gibbs said, sitting down at his own desk.

"Hey, Tony, Ziva, Boss!" McGee said cheerfully as he walked over and sat down at his own desk.

"And what's got the Probie so chipper?" Tony asked, glad for a distraction.

"I've got a dinner date, on Thanksgiving." McGee replied with a smile.

"Date? Like a date-date? Or is it like most of your dates where you go to dinner and then the girl kisses you on the cheek at the end and never calls you again kinda date?"

"Well, I suppose you would know better than I would, Tony."

"Ouch! The Probie bites! Look at you… sitting up straight… smug look on your face… talking back… it's a date-date isn't it? Do we know her? What's her name? Probie, are you sure she's good enough for you?" Tony asked sarcastically.

McGee was about to respond when Gibbs interrupted. "Listen up, everybody. In lieu of the fact that the department is quiet and we have no open cases, I'm letting you off a day early. So be on call, and get the hell outa here." He told them all, standing up and switching off his desk light.

"Hey, thanks boss!" Tony said. "You got big plans for the holiday?"

Gibbs only looked at Tony in passing with one of those 'don't ask' looks and entered the elevator. "That a yes? No? Okay then. See ya Monday." Tony called after him.

"Give it up, Tony, he is not going to answer." Ziva told him, collecting her things and turning off her own desk light, "I will see you on Thursday."

"Uh, yeah. See you then, Zee." Tony called as Ziva entered the now vacant elevator.

Tony turned around to find McGee studying him. "Can I help you, Probie?" Tony asked.

"You really like her, don't you?"

"Do I pry into your personal life, McGee?"

"Actually, yes. All the time."

"Speaking of which, you never answered my question. Who are you going out with on Thursday?"

McGee suddenly scooped up his things and headed for the elevator. "Sorry, Tony, gotta go. See you later!" McGee called before the elevator doors closed.

Tony shook his head and began to gather his own things.

---

Tony knocked on the door of Ziva's one-level house and waited, shifting from foot to foot. Why was he nervous? He'd been to Ziva's house before. He'd eaten dinner here before. Why had that one little word made him so nervous? Tony knocked again. Where was she? Tentatively, Tony put is ear to the door and listened. He didn't hear anyone coming. He did hear Ziva's voice, she was shouting something. Carefully, Tony tried the doorknob. The door opened. He didn't have his weapon, but something was keeping Ziva from coming to the door, and if she was shouting, she may have been in trouble.

In the entryway, Tony left the dish he had brought on a table and continued through the house towards Ziva's voice. It became clear now that Ziva was not shouting, but singing. Loudly. Tony decided now that he was in the house, he may as well tell her. He entered the room where Ziva's voice was coming from and stopped short. She didn't notice him; her eyes were closed. Tony toyed with idea of not alerting her, but decided it was more than his life's worth to stay. "You scared the hell out of me, you know." He said, loud enough to be hear over Ziva's singing.

Her singing ended abruptly and a bottle flew out of the shower which Ziva was in and nailed Tony squarely in the forehead. "OW!"

"Tony? What are you doing in my bathroom??" Ziva demanded.

"Like I said, you didn't come to the door and I heard you shouting. I thought something was wrong! You didn't have to hit me a shampoo bottle!"

"Yes, I did. And that is conditioner, not shampoo. And I need it back."

"Fine." Tony walked up to the shower with the bottle and was about to put it back when Ziva shouted.

"Ah-ah! Back up for a moment!" A hand came out of the side of the shower curtain, waiting for the bottle. "Hand it to me." She commanded.

Tony complied, almost disdainfully. "You are way too paranoid, you know that?"

"Sometimes I think I am not paranoid enough. Now go away and wait in the living room until I am decent enough to kill you." Ziva told him through the shower curtain.

"It's no big deal. I've seen you naked before." Tony said playfully.

"That was undercover. That does not count. Go away." Ziva demanded.

"Nice voice, by the way. You don't seem like much of a singer, but you're not bad."

"Thank you. Now go away!"

"I can't see you. Can't we just have a friendly chat between… friends?" Tony teased.

"I have more bottles. I will aim lower this time." Ziva threatened.

"All right, all right, I'm going!" Tony said, retreating to the living room.

---

"So, Tony, what made you think you could simply let yourself into my house and then into my bathroom?" Ziva asked, coming up behind Tony and causing him to jump.

"You're too quiet. And I didn't just 'let myself in', I told you already." Tony said, turning around to face her.

"Well, the next time you feel the need to help me, knock first."

"Fine, fine. I'm a little sorry, if that's any consolation."

"Not really, but thank you, I suppose. I have spent all today and yesterday cooking. There are three different pies, stuffing, squash, a turkey in the oven, stuffed mushrooms, gravy, cranberry sauce…"

"Yeesh, don't you think you went a little overboard? That's a bit much for two people."

"I looked up what one is supposed to make traditionally for Thanksgiving and I made it all. I like to cook. And what makes you think it just the two of us?"

As Ziva finished her sentence, the door bell rang. She disappeared for a moment and when she came back, McGee and Abby were with her. "You invited Probie and Abby? Wait-wait-wait. Are _you_ Probie's dinner date?" Tony asked.

"No. That would be Abby." Ziva said.

"_Abby?_ You're dating _McGee?_" Tony asked.

"Well, not exclusively…" Abby said sheepishly.

"And why was I not told?"

"Relax, Tony. I didn't know until yesterday, when I called to invite Tim."

"And is there anyone else coming I should know about?"

No sooner were the words out of Tony's mouth than the doorbell rang. Ziva disappeared and came back with four people this time. "I invited everyone, actually." She said, gesturing towards Gibbs, Ducky, Palmer, and the Director.

"Hold up again, is this one of those dinner parties you weren't going to invite me to?" Tony asked, still mildly confused.

"No, I just thought, if some people like to spend Thanksgiving with their family, perhaps we should get the whole 'family' together." Ziva explained to him.

"Ah. Of course… the one time you listen to me…" Tony muttered as everyone began to situate themselves.

---

After the big meal, which everyone enjoyed, Abby and McGee left under the disapproving eye of Gibbs, who didn't watch for long as Jenny took it upon herself to distract him and allow time for McGee and Abby to escape. She and Gibbs left soon after, going out for coffee, they said. Ducky left next, saying he should cook a nice dinner for his mother now. Palmer, who felt uncomfortable with Tony glaring at him, was the last to go. Finally, Tony and Ziva were left alone.

"What is the matter, Tony?" Ziva asked casually, eyeing him from the doorway of her living room.

"What?" Tony asked, caught off guard.

"You seemed distant this evening. Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yeah, everything was great, Ziva. Thanks for inviting me." Tony said, plastering a grin on his face.

"Something is wrong, Tony. You cannot hide that from me." Ziva came over from her place in the doorway and sitting down next to Tony on the couch.

"You think you know me that well, huh?" Tony asked.

"I know I know you that well. You were orbiting tonight."

"I was in space, you mean."

"Whatever. What is wrong?"

Tony opened his mouth to reply but then shut it again. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Now I _have_ to know, Tony. Tell me what is bothering you."

"Well… it's stupid."

"Come, now, Tony. You are acting like a teenager." Ziva said, glaring at him.

Tony grinned in reply. "Okay, okay. I- Well, I was kind of looking forward to it being just us."

Ziva didn't seem surprised, which didn't surprise Tony. She always seemed to know. "And why would that be, Tony? A fantasy of yours?"

"No… I was just thinking… we could have talked. We haven't really talked since we were stuck in that metal box."

"I am sure there were many things on your mind, Tony, and talking was low on the list." Ziva said leaning over on Tony.

"So what if it was?" Tony replied playfully.

"Well, I do not know. It depends on what _was_ at the top of your list." Ziva scooted over on the couch and deposited herself onto Tony's lap.

"Well… um…"

"It is too bad. I was also looking forward to a sort of date…" Ziva told him quietly, leaning in so close their noses were nearly touching.

Tony's mouth went dry. It was all he could do to keep his hands from sliding into place around Ziva's waist. "I… er…"

"Oh, well. I suppose we will have to wait until next time to… talk." Ziva said, rising from Tony's lap and walking towards the door.

Tony was still dumbstruck, wondering what had happened and almost didn't hear what Ziva was saying. "… and perhaps you could come over tomorrow. It is Friday, date night, right?" She leaned back on the doorframe, showing off her curves.

"Uh, yeah, sounds great. A date." Tony finally managed to say.

"Good. Goodnight, Tony." Ziva said as she walked down the hall to her bedroom.

"So, um is that a date-date, or-?" Tony called down the hall as Ziva's bedroom door shut.

"Good night, Tony!" Ziva called through her door.

"Right… see you tomorrow." Tony kept himself composed as he left Ziva's house, but couldn't help but let out one triumphant shout as he headed for his car. "Best Thanksgiving yet!"

A/N: Heehee. Hope enjoyed… wasn't exactly fluffy, I suppose, and yet it was, a little bit. Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a full stomach!


End file.
